I can't remember why I wrote "Too bad it's not the experience I hoped for." when I covered Kikoskia's Let's Play of the game several years ago. Sure, it's not exactly like the NES games, but having played it now, this one's not too bad.
Interestingly, the game takes place in 1985, and it actually takes place before the first Ninja Gaiden game. It should also be mentioned that this is made by the same developers as Shadow of the Ninja for NES, and the game was originally meant to be a port of that game, hence why part of the Shadow Warriors logo appears below that of Ninja Gaiden's.
Anyway, you're saving New York City from the evil forces of Emperor Garuda (Emperor Gulf in the European version), who is a servant of Jaquio.
Stage 1
You just have six units of health as well as only one ninjitsu attack that you can store multiple uses of (the fire wheel power from the NES series). A lets you jump, B lets you attack, Left and Right let you move around, and Down lets you duck.
The flashing crystal balls contain the power-ups you'll be hunting for in this game. The ninpo orb gives you another ninjitsu attack, while the potions refill your health. A small bottle fills up two units, while the big one gives you full health. To use your ninjutsu, hold Up and press B. You'll shoot a bunch of flames forwards and upwards, and these flames will destroy any enemies they touch. You can carry up to five ninjutsu charges.
This game may be a bit slower than the NES games, and it may not have as many enemies, but it is still a playable game.
In this stage, you'll be dealing with missile-firing cannon (duck under the missiles), guys that seemingly try to alert people of your presence (for no reason), and bombs that shoot up a fire pillar when destroyed.
Unlike the other Ninja Gaiden games, you can't wall jump. Instead, the game gives you a grappling hook. Up and the A button throws it up. Why they couldn't put wall jumping into the game, I don't know. All I know is that the lack of it combined with other factors makes this game feel a lot like the odd man out.
The boss here is the cyborg Spider. Attack him as he crawls around before he jumps up to the ceiling and starts crawling on it. When you're under him, he'll either come straight down at you or come down to the floor at a slight angle. He's more likely to jump straight down if you just stand there. Move around so he won't hit you on the way down, then start slashing at him again until his attack pattern repeats once more. Also, don't use your ninjutsu. It will not damage Spider at all. He's an easy boss, but he can be a pain in the pants if you don't know what not to do.
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